Locomotive driving-box.



W. i. WUODARD,

LOCOMOTIVE DHlViNG BOX.

APPLlCATlOll flLED res. n. um.

Patented May 14, 1918.

2 SHEEIS-SHfiET I.

q/vi tneos attorney W. E. WOODARU. LGCOMOTWE DRWWG BOX. APPLICAHON mu; ms. w. my.

Patented May14, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHIIET 2.

an we 14-h) a, fkwad l lllllli I I I $27M llll m5 WILLIAM E. woonann, or scntnnncmnv, NEW YonK.

LOCOMOTIVE nnIvmc-Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Application filed February 17, 1917. Serial No. 149,164.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. WOODARD, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements inLocomotive Driving-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to driving boxes 'for locomotives, and it has for one of its primary objects the provision of an improved driving box having an extended driving box the heavy horizontal thrusts transmitted to the driving box by the thrusts from the locomotive crank pin and connecting rod on the driving journal.

My invention also contemplates the provision of an improved driving box having a bearing of the character described, which is composed of a plurality of bearing members in which, in addition to other advantages herein noted, the bearin parts which wear more rapidly can be rep aced without necessarily renewing the remaining bearing parts.

An additional object resides in the provision of a driving box having such a multipart bearing, :he parts of which are so arranged as to provide a novel and improved means for lubricating the bearing and the journal.

, extended or long The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention, I obtain by means of a construction, the preferred embodimcntsof which I have showjrin the accompanying drawings, wherein-e.

Figure 1 is a section thr ugh. a drivin wheel axle showing the estal, driving box and driv1 in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation and partial section, similar to Fig. 1, but illustratin a modification of the drivi box and bearing; Fig. 4 is a section tiifien on the line 4-4 of Fi 3; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detailed views 0 the parts constituting the multipart bearing shown in Fi 3.

l n the ordinary designs of driving boxes, whether of the standard length or of the main box type, the driving box bearing encircles the driving journal of a driving wheel axle for one-half of its circumference, or less. Such driving boxes are applied to the driving journal by dropg boxhearing bearing adapted to withstand eng ne frame pe section on the ping the driving box with its contained bearing directly onto the journal, which of course necessarily limits the contact between the driving box bearin and the ournal to one-half the circum erence o the driving journal or less. The difiiculty encountered with such a construction has been that the bearing brass wears very rapidly at its lower edges, such lower edges being approximately on the horizontal center line of the journal, or slightly thcreabove. Such a driving brass does not provide an adequate bearing to receive the heavy horizonal thrusts which are transmitted to the driving box from the drivin journal, which re ce'ives these thrusts lrom the locomotive crank pin and connecting rod, the result being that the bearin brass wears very rapidly or pounds out on the horizontal center line, and as soon as a bearin begins to wear, the journal begins to pound backward and forward, rapidly increasing the amount of play along the horizontal center line and requiring the reboring of the bearing brass. I overcome the difliculties noted by provid ing a driving box having a greatly extended bearing brass which provides an adequate bearing surface to receive the horizontal thrusts, as a result of which the life of the bearing brass is greatly increased, and the cost of maintenance correspondingly decreased.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that I have shown therein the usual pedestal 7 of a locomotive side frame 8, there being mounted in the pedestal a flanged driving box 9 having the usual beds 10 adapted to receive the spring stirrup 11. In the bottom or open end of the drlvin box is the usual driving box cellar 12, an the pedestal is provided with the customa pedestal brace 13, the specific means for attaching the driving boxcellar and the pedestal brace not being shown. The reference numeral 14 denotes my improved form of driving box bearing or bearing brass, and it will be seen that such bearing brass extends a substantial distance below the horizontal center line of the driving journal 15 of the axle and embraces the ournal, roughly speaking, about two-thirds of its clrcumference.

The bearing brass is pressed into the driving box 9 in the usual manner and it is lubriated by grease from the drivin box cellar being carried up and around t e journal.

, Although not customary,

lubricant may be supplied at points above the driving box cellar, as by means of the oil oves 16 leading from the waste box 17 in the top of the driving box. Q"

The parts are positioned by fiiht assembling the drivin box and its bearing and then the box an its contained bearing are passed over the driving axle 18 which 18 reduced in diameter intermediate the driving journal 15, after which the driving box and bearing are slipped endwise onto the driving journa The drivin box cellar is next put 'in place, after whic the side frames are dropped in place over the driving box and the pedestal brace 13 applied. t will be seen that the drivin box hearing .or brass may be carried aroun the driving journal to a point such thatrthe openin in the driving box and in the bearing wil just pass over the axle 'at the reduced middle section, the degree to which the driving bearing ma be carried around the journal being depen out u on the relative reduction of the axle 18 with respect to the journal 15, or, vice versa, the relative increase of the journal 15 with respect to the axle 18. I have not shown any renewable wear or lateral motion plate between the face of the driving boxand the hub 19 of the driving wheel, but it is of course to be understood that my improvements may be ap lied to driving boxes having such plates. mm the foregoing it will be seen that I have 3 rovidcd a drivin box having an extende bearing, embracing the driving journal throughout more than one-half of its circumference, thus, providin extended bearins surfaces adapted to wit stand the heavy horizontal thrusts, on the driving box, the result of which is that the lower portions of such im roved bearing brass do not wear out so rapi ly. The life of the bearing is therefore great] extended and the c of mainte nance inci cut to the frequent wi hdrawal of the locomotive, for replacement of the driving bearings, is correspondinglyreduced.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive,f1 have shown a construction of driving box and drivin box hearing which embodies the same fun amental idea of carrying the driving bearing aroundthe driv ing journal beyond the horizontal center line thereof, but in this instance the driving bearing, inst ad of being a one-piece member, is composed of a plurality of pieces, namely, a main or central bearing piece 20 adapted to be mounted in the dipper portion of the drivingjbox,audtwo wing pieces or end members 21, adapted to receive the major portion oi the horizontal thrusts.

The drivin box casting in this construction, in addition to the shoulders 22 forming the bottom ends of the driving brassppcning,

. "has two shoulders "33 which (project inwardly into the opening o space a iptcd to receive ,the driving brass. These shoulders are spaced above the horizontal center line of the journal about the same distance as the shoulders 22 are spaced below." the horizontal center line, and in length they are slightly less than the thickness of the driving brass parts. The central driving brass member 20 is pressed into position between the shoulders 23, and the end driving brass members 21 are pressed into position between the shoulders 23 and the shoulders 22. The shoulders 23, in addition to constituting a means against which the driving brass parts bear, serve to space apart said members so as to provide lubricatin channels 24 which extend longitudinall o the driving journal and terminate just s ort'of the faces of the driving box. The ends of these channels are closed in the following manner.

The central bearing brass member 20, at each side on one end, is provided with a letorally projecting lug 25, and the end driving brass members 21, of which there is a right and a left hand member, on the opposite end and .on the inner side have an oppositely extending lug 26. In Fig. 5, I have shown the central member 20 and the right hand member 21 of the driving brass in assembled position, and from inspection of this figure it will beseen that the lugs 25 and 26 close the ends of the channels 2-1. Oil or other lubricent is introduced into the channels 24 by means of the oil grooves 27 which extend from the waste box 17 through the driving box, opening in the face of the lugs or shoulders 23.

The parts are assembled as follows assuming that the driving brass member 21 has been presse into place between the shoulders 23 W1 the lug end outward, that is, toward the outer face of the driving box, and that then the members 21 of the driving bra'ss, with the lug end inward, have been pressed into position betwcenjhe shoulders 22 and 23. The driving box and its contained driving brass parts are passed over the reduced portion of the axle and then are slipped into position endwise onto the journal 15', after which the driving box collar 12 is secured in position, the frame dropped over the driving box, and the pedestal brace 13 attached. 1 1

It will be soon from the foregoing that this modification also has the same general advantages incident to 'the first construction described. in that it provides an extended bearing for the driving journal which makes ample provision for the heavy horizontal thrusts. In! addition, it also provides a conv nient and improved moans. supplemmning the usual driving box cellar, for lubricating the drivingjournnl. The construction also has a marked advantage because it is of such a character that the end hearing members 21, which wear more rapidly than the central member 20. can be renewed Without necessarily renewing the central member.

It: will of course be understood that; the driving box cellar 12 is of standard eonst ruetion. adapted to receive grease in cake 11' other form, the grease being; held against the journal by the usual spring located in the bottom of the cellar. :t will also be understood that the driving box is positioned in the pedestal by rte usual shoe 28 and wedge 29.

In the event that cation is placedupon sole relianle for lubrithe grease in the drivmg box cellar, such grease will be carried around by the rotating jonmal, but in such cases it is preferable to provide grooves communicating with the main lubricating grooves 24, so that a grratrr quantity of grease from the cellar may be carried into the grooves 24. In Fig, 3 I have indicated one way of accomplishing this, namely, by providing small grooves 30 in the hearing members 20 and 9] I claim:

l. The combination with a locomotive driving axle having a journal and a portion of smaller diameter than the journal, of an integral locomotive driving box having a gap greater than the diameter of the reduced portion and smaller than the dianr eter of the journal. and a rearing in said box adapted to engage the journal a substantial distance above and below the horizontal center line thereof, the g p in the caring being also less than the diameter of the journal and greater than the diam cter of the reduced portion, whereby the box and the contained.bearing may be passed over the reduced portion of the axle and slipped on the journal.

2. The combination wi h a locomotive driving axle having a journal and portion of smaller diameter than the journal, of an integral locomotive driving box, the gap in' which is less than the diameter of the journal and greater than the diameter of the reduced portion, said box being provided Witha bearing composed of a plurality of parts adapted to engage substantially more than one-half of the circumference of the journal, said bearing parts being arranged to provide a gap less than the diameter of the journal and greater than the diameter of the reduced contained hearing may be passed over the reduced portion of the axle and slipped over the journal.

3. The combination with a locomotive driving axle of a locomotive driving box portion, whereby the box and having a driving bearing composed of a plurality of parts,'said parts being spaced to provide a space for li illricant. and means for closing the ends of said space.

4-. The combination with a locomotive driving axle having a journal and a portion of smaller diameter than the journal, of an integral driving box the gap in which is less than the diameter of the journal and greater than the diameter of the reduced portion, and a bearing rigidly mounted in said box and adapted to engage substan tially more than one-halt of the journal of the axle, the gap in said bearing being less than the diameter of the journal and greater than the diameter of the reduced portion, whereby the box and its contained hearing may be passed over the reduced portion and slipped over the journal.

5. The combination with a locomotive driving axle having a journal and a redu ed portion of smaller diameter than the journal, of an integral driving, box the gap in which is less than the diameter of the journal and greater than the diann-ter of the reduced portion, and a bearing adapted to embrace substantially more than one-half of the circumference of the journal, said bearing comprising a plurality of parts each rigidly mounted in said box and arranged to provide a gap less than the diametcr of the journal and greater than the diameter of the reduced portion. whereby the box and its contained hearing may be passed over the reduced portion and slipped over the journal.

6. A locomotive driving box having an opening to receive a driving box bearing. a. pluralit i of spaced lugs on the box and extending into said opening. and parts com posing the bearing fitted into said opening between the lugs.

7. The combination with a locomotive driving axle of a locomotive driving box having a driving bearing composed of a. plurality bf parts, said parts being spaced to provide a space for lubricant, and having at their ends projections closing the ends of said space.

8. An integral locomotive driving box having a driving box bearing composed of three parts, namely two wing members adapted to engage the driving axle pn opposite. sides, above and below the. horizontal center line thereof, and an intermediate member adapted to engage the top portion of the axle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

W'ILLTAM I W'OODARI).

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